Chapter 8 - THE BREAKFAST TABLE
~1,100 words
The next morning, the Moretti estate felt entirely different.
The oppressive, suffocating tension that Vanessa had carried with her like a dark cloud was completely gone, replaced by the warm, golden sunlight streaming through the massive windows of the kitchen.
I woke up at nine, my hand throbbing with a dull ache, but the pain was manageable. I dressed in my usual uniform—out of habit more than anything—but realized halfway through buttoning my apron that I wasn’t a maid anymore. I took the apron off, opting instead for a simple, respectable navy blue dress.
When I walked into the main kitchen, Mrs. Carter, the head chef, nearly dropped her wooden spoon.
“Claire!” she gasped, hurrying over to me. “Marco told us what happened last night! The fire! The engagement! The promotion! Are you alright, dear?”
“I’m fine, Mrs. Carter,” I smiled, accepting a gentle hug from the older woman.
“Good,” she beamed, wiping her hands on her apron. “Because that witch is gone, and the whole staff is breathing easier. She fired two landscapers yesterday just for looking at her car wrong.”
“Where is Benjamin?” I asked, looking around the empty kitchen.
“He’s in the informal dining room,” Mrs. Carter said, pointing down the hall. “And he’s not alone.”
I walked quietly down the marble corridor and peeked into the sunlit breakfast room.
Benjamin was sitting at the smaller, round oak table, wearing his favorite superhero pajamas.
Sitting directly across from him, reading the morning newspaper and sipping a black coffee, was Luca.
He wasn’t wearing his usual intimidating black suit. He was wearing a casual gray sweater and dark jeans. It was the first time I had ever seen him dressed like a normal man.
Benjamin was happily eating a massive stack of blueberry pancakes, swinging his legs back and forth under the table.
“Daddy, can we go to the park today?” Benjamin asked, his mouth half-full of syrup.
Luca lowered his newspaper. “Don’t talk with your mouth full, Ben. And yes, we can go to the park. I told Marco to clear my schedule for the entire weekend.”
Benjamin’s eyes widened in genuine shock. “The whole weekend? Even Sunday?”
“Even Sunday,” Luca promised.
I knocked gently on the open doorframe.
Both of them looked up.
“Miss Claire!” Benjamin cheered, dropping his fork and sliding out of his chair. He ran across the room and wrapped his arms around my waist, being careful not to bump my bandaged hand.
“Good morning, sweetheart,” I laughed, hugging him back with my left arm.
Luca stood up, setting his coffee mug down.
“Good morning, Claire,” he said, his voice warm and easy. “How is the hand today?”
“It’s much better, thank you,” I replied, stepping further into the room.
Luca pulled out the chair next to his. “Sit down. Have breakfast with us.”
I hesitated. Old habits died hard. “Oh, no, I couldn’t. The staff eats in the kitchen—”
“You aren’t staff anymore,” Luca corrected firmly, though his eyes were kind. “You’re part of Benjamin’s life. Which means you eat at this table. Sit.”
I couldn’t argue with the boss. I sat down on the plush velvet chair.
Within seconds, Mrs. Carter appeared through the swinging doors, carrying a plate of fresh scrambled eggs, toast, and a steaming cup of tea, placing it gently in front of me with a knowing wink.
As we ate, the conversation flowed easily. Benjamin talked about his favorite books, a stray dog he had seen in the yard, and a school project he was working on. Luca listened intently, asking questions, laughing at his son’s jokes.
It was so painfully normal. So beautiful.
Halfway through breakfast, Marco walked into the room.
He was wearing his usual dark suit, but he looked incredibly satisfied.
“Morning, Boss,” Marco nodded.
“Report,” Luca said, taking a sip of coffee.
“I went to the pawn shop right at opening,” Marco said, pulling a small velvet box from his jacket pocket and placing it on the table. “The ring is secured. The broker was extremely cooperative when he realized who he was dealing with. He didn’t charge us the interest fee.”
Luca nodded approvingly. “And Claire’s money?”
Marco pulled a thick white envelope from his other pocket and handed it directly to me.
“Your savings, Miss Claire,” Marco said respectfully. “Plus the fifty percent bonus the Boss promised. Cash.”
I took the envelope with my good hand. It was thick. Heavier than any amount of money I had ever held in my entire life.
“Thank you, Marco,” I whispered, overwhelmed with gratitude.
“There’s one more thing,” Marco said, turning back to Luca. “About Vanessa.”
Benjamin immediately stopped eating, his posture stiffening at the mention of her name.
Luca noticed. He reached across the table and placed a reassuring hand over his son’s arm.
“Go ahead, Marco.”
“She didn’t leave the city last night,” Marco reported, a grim smirk playing on his lips. “She went to a high-end hotel downtown and tried to check into the penthouse suite. Tried to charge it to the black card you gave her last month.”
Luca raised an eyebrow. “And?”
“And the card was declined,” Marco laughed. “I canceled all of her authorized accounts the second we threw her out. The hotel management wouldn’t let her stay. She threw a fit in the lobby, screaming about how she was going to be the next Mrs. Moretti.”
“Did she cause a scene?”
“A massive one,” Marco confirmed. “Which is why hotel security called the police. She was arrested for public disturbance and trespassing at 2 AM. She’s sitting in a holding cell right now, waiting for a public defender because she has absolutely zero money to post bail.”
A wave of profound relief washed over me.
She was gone. She was ruined. And she could never hurt Benjamin again.
Luca nodded slowly, his face devoid of any sympathy.
“Leave her there,” Luca commanded. “Let her rot in the cell for the weekend. When she gets out, ensure she is placed on a Greyhound bus out of the state. If she returns, she answers to me.”
“Consider it done, Boss.”
Marco bowed his head and exited the dining room, leaving the three of us alone again in the morning light.
Luca turned to Benjamin.
“Well,” Luca smiled, wiping his mouth with a linen napkin. “I believe we have a park to visit. And ice cream to eat.”
Benjamin’s face lit up with pure joy.
“Can Miss Claire come too?” he asked eagerly.
May you like
Luca looked across the table at me, his dark eyes locking onto mine with a warmth that made my breath catch in my throat.
“I think Miss Claire has to come,” Luca said softly. “She’s in charge of you now.”
